


apical pulse

by thalassashells



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Cunnilingus, Nonbinary Character, Other, POV Second Person, but like weird shadow cunnilingus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 08:08:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19459882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thalassashells/pseuds/thalassashells
Summary: You are never apart, really. Just together differently.





	apical pulse

**Author's Note:**

> listen. i know the questlog says "that little trick doesn't count". but miss ishikawa for once i must disregard your council.

You can only find the pulse sometimes, when Menphina hides in her crescent, or when the frost on the windows fractures the incoming sun into a thousand tiny shards that bathe your bedroom. It casts a shadow that tugs, tugs, tugs at your heartstrings, that makes it beat with a fervor no single person could sustain.

When you find it you shed your shirt, your pants, anything that stands between you and your own flesh. You'd shed your skin if it got you closer to the center, the throbbing red that tears a hole between your lungs. And despite this, your hand begs to begin at your chin. It begs to stay and feel every knob and bump from your jaw to your sternum to the curve of your chest. Your other hand wraps around your side, embracing yourself fully, tracing scars and faded burns up until it meets your other hand on your breast.

You dip your fingertips beneath the skin. 

They shimmer through like water, sweat beading on your temples as you brush the burning inside, coaxing your long shadow to grow longer and fuller. The shattered light coming from your window gives it form, a place to rise solid and shining in your bedroom once again. Ever so fearful that your movement will banish them, you stand like a statue, arched forward with your hands deep inside you.

Fervent hope is paid off when their fingers trail down your spine, tugging your posture down with them as warmth floods your body from the point of contact. 

"You always bring me back like this."

"I know."

"Why don't you let me start with my gloves off, at least? It's a bloody bother."

You lean back against them and revel in the give of their shadowy form. The wisps of black and purple curl around you, grabbing alongside their hands that wrap around your front and pull you close. "I like how they feel. You take everything so personally."

Their sigh is warm against your neck, "Don't we just?"

There is no separation when they stand outside of you, only a different kind of connection, one where they encompass you instead of you encompassing them. It is a trade – a compromise where you, if only for these quiet moments, are the one held safe. And even then, even then: are they not your comfort far too often? Do you not lean on them? Do you not entreat their company without asking if they need their own?

Fray's hand is inching down the plane of your stomach, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. You gently take them by the wrist as they make to slip between your thighs.

"What's wrong?" They ask, concerned, every tendril of darkness flicking away as they are rebuffed.  


"Nothing." You insist with a smile before turning quickly around and take their face in your hands to pull them in for a...

Kiss? It is a kiss. You press your lips to the shape of the helm and tangible shadow kisses back, sliding into your mouth the way a tongue would, pulling away to nip at your jaw the way teeth might. Their surprise is palpable, taken off guard by your advance. They gasp as you sink your teeth into the shadow of their lip and push them backwards towards the bed.

"Really? Are you sure you're up to it?" They smile with their glowing eyes, tilted up at the corners and half-lidded.

In lieu of answering you push them and they gracelessly take the tumble, scooting back awkwardly before you climb atop them. You feel their excitement echoed back through your own body in a burst of arousal, ringing through your belly. 

Their form is shifting slightly. You've only seen this happen a few times: once in great duress, once in weakness, and now in tenderness. The shape of Fray's jaw becomes apparent, their neck in turn, the shadows receding to give way to a body not quite your own. Their breasts are small and light, raised just slightly over their well muscled midsection that leads into wide hips. You can see only the slightest shimmer of their rich brown skin beneath and the trail of curly black hair leading from their belly button down, the clarity washing back into shade as soon as you focus too hard.

A suggestion of the soul entwined with yours, open and waiting. The most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

"Well?" They ask.

You sink down to kiss them again and run a hand down, or through, their side.

"I love you." You say, and by all things holy, you mean it.

Their gaze softens and they reach up to cup your cheek: "I love you too. More than I can show."

You can't wait any longer. Lifting their legs up onto your shoulders – met with a shuddering sigh of anticipation – you slip your head between their thighs. There's hardly any definition, not that you need it: you lick up the featureless wall of darkness and draw a cry from Fray above you. 

Their heart and yours are fluttering, wrapped around each other in this as in all things. You begin to lick again, finding give in the flesh as warm and soft as any skin, delving your tongue in deep to taste the sweet shadows.

"Oh, fuck -" They moan, gripping their thighs around your head and running their hand through your hair, "- beautiful, beautiful..."

So you lean into them, pour yourself into their pleasure and let it rumble back through you with every lick and scrape of teeth bringing gasps and cries of 'yes' and 'please' from above you. 

Fray's panting grows rapid and ragged as you bring them closer and they reach to clasp your hand in theirs, melding against each other perfectly, filling the gaps around each other's bodies.  


They come with a broken cry, their body taut and aching for one beautiful moment before sinking back with shaking breaths.

You pull away, annoyed by the cold air stinging your face outside of the shield of their body, and climb back up to look them in the eyes.

They say nothing. Instead, they pull you into an embrace so deep you lose sight of where you end and they begin.


End file.
